Islamic Environmental Stewardship: Nature and Science in the Light of Islamic Philosophy

Islamic Philosophy and Science

Islam has long claimed a strong compatibility with science and an openness to the pursuit of sacred knowledge through it. The rich history of Muslim contributions to the world of science bears enough evidence to support this claim.

Scientific and mathematical branches such as algebra, astronomy and chemistry are, at least in part, made available today due to the Islamic sciences of old. Works by Muslim scientists, popularly known till today, such as Ibn Arabi, Avicenna, and Averroes, have had great influence on the discoveries and progresses within science and shall probably continue to have so for however long science itself carries on.

Moreover, a great phenomenon pertaining to an integration of natural theology and modern science has spread across Muslim culture. More specifically, in light of modern scientific discoveries, Muslims today use science to study what they consider Qur’anic miracles. The intention is to use empirical proof as a foundation for their belief in God. The many books and online resources on this topic are a product of this cultural phenomenon. They include references to mathematical phenomena in the Qur’anic repetition of words presentation of topics in embryology,18 oceanography,19 astrophysics20 and more. It is another example of how science has proved compatible with Islamic belief and culture. Notwithstanding such compatibility, there remains a great difference between the approach of modern science and that of the traditional Islamic sciences.

Unlike the usual modern scientist, a traditional Muslim scientist’s work was never undergone for the sake of understanding the physical alone. It is the traditional Muslim scientist’s belief that the true function of science is to discover aspects of the real.21 The intention behind their work was to understand the different and higher orders of reality-all in order to gather a better understanding of God.

This reality permeates the inherent nature of all things. It encompasses the sacred symbolism of all facts, the gnosis attainable through the study of creation and the virtually infinite allusions to the supreme oneness of God.

The search for sacred knowledge had been a prevalent aspect of science in Muslim lands for centuries. With this aspiration to better know their Lord, Muslim scientists ranging from Jabir bin Hayyan to Avicenna have pioneered their respective fields with studies of both the physical and metaphysical. Through their studies of creation they intended to better understand the Creator, especially given His invitation to do so.22 Thus, the Islamic sciences not only gathered information of their surroundings, from earthly minerals to cosmic patterns, but also interpreted them through a sacred lens.

Following this Islamic outlook, one greatly valuable aspect of science is its study of the Signs of God embodied in all phenomena. Such signs are pervasively provided throughout each person’s self and surroundings so that people may come to better know God. Thus, all phenomena of all kinds hold lessons for those who seek them. This notion is reflected within all aspects of the Islamic religion and is further alluded to in the Arabic vocabulary; there is a shared linguistic consonantal root between the Arabic words for

knowledge, science, and world: ‘ilm, ‘ulūm and*‘ālam* , respectively. It can thus be concluded that a great aspect of science is its development of people’s knowledge of the world around-and within-them so that they may better know God. By studying the virtually infinite signs that symbolize His attributes, humanity can see that He is Allah al-Khāliq ar-Rahmān, God the Creator the Infinitely Merciful.

Furthermore, science is viewed as a process of innovatively developing the appropriate means to a God-pleasing end. With such an understanding, the use of creative and non-traditional methods to maintain harmony between humanity and the God-given natural environment is not just permissible but encouraged as well.

The same applies to all innovations made for any good purpose. This is reflected in the historical contributions of Muslim scientists to the realm of science, as well as in the innovative works of Muslims today.